Interlocking machine for railway signaling systems



W. K. HOWE Aug. 20, 1929.

INTERLOCKING MACHINE FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 15, 1927 Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINTHROP K. HOWE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL IRAILW'A'Y SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. A

INTERLOCKING MACHINE FOR RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEMS.

Application filed January 13, 1927. Serial No. 160,914.

This invention relates in general to levers for interlocking machines, and has more particular reference to a shock absorbing or cushioning means used in connection with U such levers.

In the operation of interlocking machines, as is well known by those skilled in this particular art, levers are moved from one extreme position to the other, and during this movement it is customary to arrest the movement of the lever before it reaches its extreme position, by means of a detent which butts against depending lugs on the interlocking lever. The lever can then not be moved to its final position until after it is released by the detent and with the relatively heavy levers and rapid movement of the same which prevail in practice, it is obvious that a very considerable shock must be withstood by the stop lugs on the levers each time the same are operated. As a result it is not unusual for these stop lugs to be broken off during operation of the levers which may possibly result in a dangerous condition being set up, and at best necessitates frequent repair.

lVith the above considerations in mind, it is proposed in accordance with this invention to provide a lever for use in interlocking machines havingshock absorbing or cushioning means for taking up the shock produced by stoppage of the lever by means of the usual detent in its motion from one extreme position to the other.

Further objects, purposes, and characteristic features of this invention will appear as the description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, showing, solely by way of example, one embodiment of the invention;

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, an interlocking lever 1 is shown, having a handle 2 for operation thereof, and provided with a cam slot 3 in which operates a roller 4 on an arm 5 which serves to connect the lever shown with a preceding'and a succeeding lever in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, unless, of course, the lever in question be the first or the last of a set of levers. For a further, and more detailed, description of the operation of drawings) for initiating operation of the particular function controlled by the lever in question, in a well known manner.

Adjacent the lever 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, is a detent 7, pivoted at 8 to be normally biased in a clockwise directiomand furthermore urged in such direction by a spring 9; a pivoted latch 10 adjacent the holding end 11 of the detent having ahorizontally extending arm 12 arranged to be operated by reciprocation of a rod 13 connected to an armature, (not shown) which is reciprocated in accordance with the energization of coils 14; and a pivoted wiper 15 arranged in position to be operated by the lever 1. I

The lever 1 is furnished with shoulders 16 and 17 and stop lugs 18 and 19.

The structure thus far described, is more i or less conventional, and the operation thereof will be given only very briefly. Assurning that the lever 1 controls the operation of a track switch controlling traffic on a main line and on a siding, the parts are shown in the normal position, that is, in the position in which the track switch is set for main line trafiic. To operate the switch to the siding position, the lever 1 is drawn to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, until the rod 6 operates to energizea switch machine, for example, which operates the switch in question to its siding position. At the same time the lug 19has rocked the wiper 15 in a counter-clockwise direction so as to cause the wiper to rock the latch 10 also in a counterclockwise direction to position the upper end of the same beneath the end 11 of the latch 7 which meantime has been rocked in a counter-clockwise direction by means of the shoulder 17 on .the lever contacting with the other end of the latch. In this manner the lug 19 is brought forcibly against the raised end 11 of the latch and the lever 1 is brought to an abrupt stop. On completion of throwing of thetrack switch, and only after the switch is completely thrown, a dynamic (or other) indication current traverses the coils 14, as clearly set forth in the patent men tioned above, to thereby raise the rod 13 and permit the detent 7 to be rocked out of the path of the lug 19, to thereby permit the lever 1 to be drawn to it full reverse position, to thereby unlock succeeding levers in a well known manner. I

In operating the switch from siding to main track position, the lever 1 is pushed in the opposite direction, and the same cycle of operations is passed through in the reverse order, the end 11 of the detent 7 this time cooperating with the lug 18 of the lever 1, instead of with the lug 19.

From the above, it will be apparent that very considerable shocks and strains must be sustained by the stop lugs 18 and 19 of v the interlocking lever 1. In this invention in order to cushion the shocks the lugs in question are formed on a frame member'QO fitted into an opening 21 formed in the lever 1, the frame having ears 2:2 slidably held in the lever 1 by means of pins 23 passing throughthe lever structure and into grooves 24. in the said ears. A spring chamber 25 is formed in the frame and receives a spring 26 bearing with either end against a head 27 formed on a plunger 28 which projects beyond each end of the frame 20 to bear against the lever structure 1, in a resilient manner.

The spring 26 is preferably pretensioned, that is, it is given an initial or trapped tension, before being placed in. position with its ends bearing against the heads 27, al-

' though, of course, if the shocks to be sustained are not very considerable in amount, a spring wlthout any initial tension can be used.

It will be seen that with the structure just described, upon the lever being drawn, for

hand plunger 28 inwardly against the tension of the spring. By varying the trapped tension in the spring in question, any desired fcushioning effectcan be obtained, the operator of the lever 1, on noting that the latch prevents motion, will release the handle, after which the lever will return a short distance, in a right hand direction, until the frame 20 is positioned centrally in its opening 21, that is, until positioned. as shown in Fig.

' On the reverse movement of the lever 1, the same cushioning effect will be obtained in connection with the lug 18, in this instance the right hand plunger 28 remaining stationary while the left hand plunger is forced inwardly against the tension of the spring 26. In this manner a very simple and convenient, and at the same time most satisfactory, cushioning or shock absorbing means has been provided for an interlocking lever, without modifying the lever or detent structure to any considerable extent. The above rather specific description of one form of this invention has been given solely by way of example, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. Obviously, the invention can assume many different physical forms, and is susceptible of numerous modifications, and all such forms and modifications, are intended to be covered by this invention, as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention I now claim 1. In a lever for interlocking systems, a detent, a lug coac ting with the detent, and

shock absorbing means comprising, spaced plungers and a spring positioned between the olun 'ers arran ed to take 11 shock between the lug and detent.

2. In a lever for interlocking systems, a

detent, a lug coacting with the detent, and shock absorbing means comprising, spaced plungers and an initially tensioned expansible spring positioned between the plungers, arranged to take up shock between the lug and detent.

3. An interlocking lever, a stop lug on the lever, a detent operable to contact with the lug, and shock absorbing means between the lug and the lever.

1. An interlocking lever, a stop lug on the lever, a detent operable to contact with the lug, and initially tensioned resilient means mounting the lug on the lever.

5. An interlocking lever, spaced lugs on the lever, a detent operable to contact with the lugs to arrest motion of the lever, and a shock absorbing means mounted between the lever and the lugs.

6. An interlocking lever, spaced lugs on the lever, a detent operable to contact with the lug to arrest motion of the lever, a frame carrying the lugs, means mounting the frame in the lever for limited slidable motion, and spring means resisting sliding motion of the frame relative to the lever.

7. An interlocking lever, spaced lugs on the lever, a detent operable to contact with the lugs to arrest motion of the lever, a frame carrying the lugs, means mounting the frame in the lever for limited slidable motion, and initially tensioned spring means resisting sliding motion of the frame relative to the lever. I

8. A lever, a detent for the lever, lugs for cooperating with the detent, a frame carrying the lugs, a cut out portion in the lever,

and means mounting the frame in the cut out portion for limited slidable movement.

9. An interlocking lever, spaced lugs, a frame carrying the lugs, means, mounting the frame in the lever for limited slidable motion, a detent operable to contact with the lugs to arrest motion of the lever, a chamber in the frame, plungers slidably projecting from the frame distance equal in each case to said limited slidable motion, heads on the plungers positioned in the chamber, and an initially tensioned expansible spring in the chamber hearing at either end against a plunger head.

10. An interlocking lever, spaced lugs, a frame carrying the lugs, means mounting the frame in the lever for limited slidalole motion, a detent operable to contact with the lugs to arrest motion of the lever,-a chamber in the frame,-plungers slidably projecting from the frame a distance equal in each case to said limited slidalole motion of the frame, heads on the plungers positioned in the chamber, and an initially tensioned expansible spring in the chamber bearing at either end against a plunger head, for yieldingly forcing the plunger to project from the frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WINTHROP K. HOWE. 

